There’s no project in recent memory that’s taken as disheartening a turn as Deepwater Horizon, the BP oil spill dramatization that A Most Violent Year helmer J.C. Chandor was originally set to direct. Creative differences with Summit Entertainment and Participant Media led to his departure, and none other than Battleship helmer Peter Berg stepped up to direct. Now, the pic is getting another boost of mainstream credibility, with Kate Hudson and John Malkovich joining the cast.
Hudson, known best for her rom-com roles in Bride Wars and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, will play the wife of an oil rig engineer (Mark Wahlberg) who is on board the titular oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico when it blows up, killing 11, injuring 16 and leading to one of the most horrific environmental disasters in history. No word on Malkovich’s role yet, but we’ll keep you posted when we learn more.
The film, adapted by Matthew Carnahan from a New York Times article called “Deepwater Horizon’s Final Hour,” specifically highlights the heroism of those on board, who risked life and limb to save their co-workers.
Gina Rodriguez (The CW’s Jane the Virgin), Kurt Russell (Furious 7) and Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) are also in the cast.
When Deepwater Horizon was first announced and Chandor’s name was attached, it immediately rose to the top of the list of movies for me to keep an eye on. The helmer has delivered three terrific dramas in four years (Margin Call, All is Lost and A Most Violent Year), and the idea of him doing a disaster pic was fascinating. But it’s easy to fill in the blanks in retrospect – Summit and Participant wanted a more Hollywood take on the oil spill than Chandor was willing to provide, and so he ended up walking, and we’re left to wonder at what could have been. What a pity.
Production is currently underway on Deepwater Horizon, which is aiming for a September 2016 release.